Could Denny Hamlin miss Michigan Cup race for the birth of his child? Here’s what we know

Denny Hamlin and his fiancée Jordan Fish are expecting their third child any day now and the NASCAR veteran could miss this Sunday's Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway (June 8). Joe Gibbs Racing has also placed reserve driver Ryan Truex on standby should Hamlin need to leave the track.

Talking to the media after the practice and qualifying session on Saturday (June 7), Hamlin shared that he would return to North Carolina if Fish, who is over 40 weeks pregnent, showed signs of labor.

"Just patiently waiting, thought it would be almost a weekend by now, but just patiently waiting," Denny Hamlin said (vis Bob Pockrass).

"Gonna wait and see where her symptoms are at, got some meetings here first, after that see just where her symptoms are at, if she has any, certainly will get back," he added.

Hamlin qualified third after teammate and pole sitter Chase Briscoe for FireKeepers Casino 400, which is scheduled for 2 pm ET. His backup, Ryan Truex, who is the younger brother of former Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., last competed in a Cup race about a decade ago, but has been active in the Xfinity and Truck Series.

Hamlin also recently shared his appreciation for the significant investments made to upgrade Michigan's 2-mile oval's infrastructure and called it the most underrated track in NASCAR.

"I got asked a question, probably a couple weeks ago about what is the most underrated track that NASCAR had. And I didn’t say it, but to me, it’s Michigan. It really is. It puts on some of the best racing that NASCAR has to offer," Hamlin said via Yahoo Sports.

The No. 11 Toyota also said that June is the perfect time to race there.

Denny Hamlin and fiancée Jordan Fish's pregnancy update

Denny Hamlin and Jordan Fish currently have two daughters, Taylor James (born 2013) and Molly Gold (born 2017). The couple announced in December last year that they were expecting a child this June.

They have been engaged since January 2024 and also shared the gender of the child, a boy, with a gender reveal video on Instagram in May. In a story post on the social media platform, Fish also uploaded a picture of herself and shared her pregnancy status.

Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin, who has two wins this season and ranks fourth in the standings, was also on baby watch during last week's race at Nashville Superspeedway. Despite the anticipation, he competed and secured a third-place finish. If he misses the Michigan race, NASCAR is expected to grant him a waiver, which allows him to remain playoff-eligible.